Yet if you talk to Democratic policy experts, Iraq rarely appears as the country's top national security priority.

It identified the fight against terrorism a top national security priority.

Other Republicans say Democrats still risk raising questions about their own national security priorities if they push too hard on the surveillance programs.

Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is an urgent economic and national security priority.

With the end of the cold war, security priorities have changed.

Overseas, Wenzel gathered intelligence on a wide range of national security priorities.

That has to be our biggest national security priority.

Care in dealing with external devices is a security priority.

The location of Europe dictates its security priorities and concerns.

Neither side offered a vision of how American military forces or national security priorities should be changed, although that was not the point at issue.